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Blended Learning is one of those buzz words that education loves to throw around, but what exactly does blended learning mean? Blended learning can be defined by many different scenarios. Blended learning occurs when a piece of traditional face-to-face instruction is replaced by online learning. Blended Learning is when students use a device to access educational resources (websites, simulations, videos, apps) that support educational development. Blended learning can be a successful model because blended learning offers personalized learning experiences for individual students and because it addresses differentiated learning styles.

How much of the classroom experience can be replaced with blended learning? The answer depends on the material, the classroom, the subject, and the learning objectives. An instructor might spend 15 minutes creating web-based instruction for the students. The students might watch the instruction at home or in the classroom. With students watching the lesson on their devices, this provides ample time for students to work on the assignment. Additionally, this frees up the instructor to assist and support the learners. ​When using blended learning strategies, it is helpful to use a collaboration tool, such as Google Apps for Education (GSuite). Blended learning could incorporate the use of a class website, which would build a sense of community that is important when connecting in-course and online learning. With blended learning, students can work on assignments away from the classroom, giving them more time for actual work. Most importantly, blended learning can be fun and engaging as students learn in different and exciting ways.​

Are you a reluctant parent when it comes to video gaming? Whether you allow your child to play video games or not, gaming is one of the most popular forms of entertainment today. As the mother of a teen and a technology educator, I am often fighting the battle of “screen time.” This post is not meant to convert you one way or the other, but to educate you on the pervasiveness of video gaming.

Beyond Pong: Video Gaming Now Video gaming has come a long way from its nascent stages of the 1970’s arcade game, Pong, to Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG), which allow hundreds of thousands of players to concurrently interact in an online game. An article in the Washington Post reported that in 2014 video gaming grew to an industry totaling over $100 billion in sales worldwide. While the motion picture industry pulled in $10.9 billion at the U.S. box office, and the music industry reported $7 billion in sales, video game sales totaled more than both combined, with $21 billion in US sales.

Although gaming is assumed to be an activity for teenagers, the statistics indicate that what constitutes a gamer is far from this idea. According to the Entertainment Software Association, the average gamer is 35 years old. Here are some other gaming statistics:

67% of US households own a device used to play video games.

54% of gamers say that video games connect them with their friends.

72% of gamers are 18 or older.

18% of gamers play with their parents.

52% of gamers are male and 41% are female.

The average female gamer is 37 years old.

45% say it helps their family spend time together.

How does video gaming fit into the classroom? There are certain characteristics that video gaming promotes that can be beneficial in an educational setting. Video games generate conditions that encourage players to “stay in the game,” such as enjoyment, interest, and motivation.

In Minecraft, one of the most popular games on the market, players build in a "sandbox" environment with 3D cubes. Minecraft's educational site has brought a school version of the game to classrooms that allow educators to connect and to use Minecraft as a platform for learning.

Tips for Parents The world of video gaming grows exponentially each year. As a parent, remember to set guidelines, be informed, and monitor your child. The following tips will help you determine boundaries:

Keep screen time to healthy limits, and limit the weekday usage to minimal or weekends only. Use an alarm feature to keep to the allotted time.

Know your child’s screen name and passwords.

Offer your child non-gaming suggestions, such as LEGOS, puzzles, graphic novels, art projects, board games, or physical activity. Even better, spend 15 minutes with your child working on a puzzle or building with LEGOs. Set the expectation ahead of time that you will spend 15-20 minutes on an activity with your child; building this connection will go a long way.

Model the behavior you desire—if you are constantly looking at your phone or tablet, you are setting the expectation that this behavior is acceptable. You also need to learn when it is time to unplug.

Set up a “free screen zone” area, such as the dinner table. Have this rule apply to everyone in the family.

“Park” the tablet/phone/computer long before bedtime so your child has non-screen time before sleeping and the temptation to play is removed.

And, most importantly, remind your child that gaming, like other forms of entertainment, is a privilege, not a right.

Arthur C. Clarke once said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” (Clarke Foundations, 2015). Virtual reality is one of those concepts that can suspend belief, like magic. Virtual reality has the ability to transform an experience, and this is where it is poised to broaden the educational experience. The strength of virtual reality is the ability to immerse the individual. While distance learning allows students to connect across large spaces, there is little interaction that is physical, VR can change this. In a traditional classroom, a student can ask a question, talk with a neighbor, or offer feedback. Distance learning students can perform these tasks, but not in real time, and often without social interaction. One possibility of virtual reality could be an avatar with video and voice capabilities that would mimic the professor. The virtual classroom could provide the emotional stimulation that is often missing from an online classroom.

Virtual reality holds much promise for the future; it opens the door to new possibilities in industries such as health care, military, and the scientific fields to name a few. Although the field of education often embraces new technologies, with virtual reality, it has been slow to catch on. Some of the problems with using virtual reality are cost, technical limitations, and the lack of desire to change traditional educational models. As technology improves and virtual reality becomes mainstream, the gap between novelty and commonplace will close.

What is the one learning tool that stands out above all others? For me, it’s the smartphone. With all the different educational tools to choose from - iPads, Chromebooks, Surface Pros, laptops, I chose the smartphone because it is a product for everyman. You can learn a language, watch a tutorial, read a book, study art, make a movie, learn calculus, publish an e-book, research a topic, all on your smartphone.

As more schools opt for BYOD, smartphones have become an obvious technology tool. While monitoring of smartphones in a school environment is necessary, consider schools with “best practices.” In North Carolina, the Onslow County School District adopted the use of smartphones in the classroom. “Project K-Nect is designed to create a supplemental resource for secondary at-risk students to focus on increasing their math skills through a common and popular technology – mobile smartphones. Ninth graders in several public schools in the State of North Carolina received smartphones to access supplemental math content aligned with their teachers’ lesson plans and course objectives. Students communicate and collaborate with each other and access tutors outside of the school day to help them master math skills and knowledge. The smartphones and service are free of charge to the students and their schools due to a grant provided by Qualcomm, as part of its Wireless Reach™ initiative.” No other product has revolutionized the technology market quite like the smartphone.

While this choice might be cliché, Khan Academy is my favorite e-learning website. Many years ago I stumbled upon the Khan Academy website when I was trying to recall algebra rules. Salman Khan first developed his videos for a cousin who was struggling in math, and in 2009, with financial backing from Ann Doerr, Khan quit his full-time job to form the non-profit, Khan Academy. A few years later, both Bill Gates and Google became financial backers, moving Khan Academy into the big leagues. His videos have now reached millions around the globe. Khan Academy videos produce response strengthening where viewers are learning or reinforcing skills. This learning is guided in a step-by-step procedure; students can watch a video to hone a skill, or in some cases, re-watch a video to master content. Some of Khan’s critics are grounded in the Constructivism theory of education - they believe that children should problem-solve from elements of everyday life, instead of watching a video. Khan disagrees, stating that “the more teachers flip their classrooms, the more time students have for creative activities” (Thompson, 2011). I tend to agree with Khan, and I still turn to his videos. Salman Khan is now revamping the traditional brick-and-mortar school model with a lab school in Silicon Valley. What venture will Khan Academy try next?

Education is ever-changing and growing, just like our children. With all of the buzzwords in education, it is difficult to keep up. Do you know the difference between personalized learning, blended learning, and differentiated instruction? If you feel that you are being left out of conversations on education due to the terminology, you are not alone. In able to support and educate you, the following list of terms will provide a foundation from which you can refer.

Blended Learning - When you hear the term “blended learning,” instead of thinking of a mix of different learning techniques, think instead of blended learning as learning that merges in-class instructional methods with digital methods. The term “blended learning” falls into many categories. A course created in a blended learning model might use the classroom time for activities that include online learning, independent study, and the inclusion of technology, such as video-taped lectures.

Flipped Classroom - The “little sister” to blended learning is flipped classroom. Flipped classrooms typically indicate a class model where students watch a teacher-created video at home. Flipped classrooms, however, are more about how teachers can best utilize classroom time with students. Is a teacher’s time spent in the classroom by lecturing a new topic, or is spending time with students one-on-one a better use of that time? With a flipped classroom, a teacher can create a video for student at-home viewing, and the topic can be reinforced and supported when the student is back in the classroom.

Student-Centered Learning - The first step in achieving a student-centered learning environment is for students to know why they are learning a topic, which promotes an environment where the student takes responsibility for learning. Rather than have students rely on the teacher to make the primary learning decisions, students can have a say-so in their learning. Student-centered learning involves brainstorming, collaboration, and decision-making - all led by the student. ​

Differentiated Instruction - Rather than thinking of differentiated instruction as a specific program, envision it as a method of teaching. Differentiated instruction is a way for educators to enhance the potential for a student to learn. Some examples of differentiated instruction include group work, problem solving, diverse learning styles, and ongoing assessments. With differentiated learning, teachers can adapt lessons in order to accommodate the different learning styles of their students.

Digital Citizen and Digital Footprint - While the Oxford English Dictionary originally defined digital as “of or pertaining to a finger, or to the fingers or digits,” some time after the 1940’s engineers developed a type of computing machine. When the OED2 rewrote the definition for digital it was defined as “applied to a computer which operates on data in the form of digital or similar discrete elements.” The idea of a digital citizen is one who thinks and acts responsibly in a digital world. Proper digital citizens should be concerned with how they are perceived online in a social media context. A good digital citizen will act in a responsible manner when making decisions that will impact their lives and the lives of others, and they will respect the rights and privacy of others. Since our digital actions can be viewed, forwarded, and even edited, it is vital that our youth understand the importance of the permanency of the Internet. This permanent “footprint” can be thought of as our digital footprint.

Game-Based Learning and Gamification - The numbers don't lie - the Entertainment Software Association states that more than 150 million Americans play video games, with 27% of those being under the age of 18. The gaming industry has been making inroads into education, with products such as Minecraft.edu, a game that promotes “creativity and collaboration” in a world that the player creates. Gamification incorporates games into everyday environments, such as educational, corporate, and healthcare. Game-Based Learning means adding electronic games in a lesson plan. For learning to occur, various goals need to be met, such as motivation, practice, feedback, and the ability to show that we have mastered a subject. Game-based learning meets these needs by using the skills of collaborating, collecting, problem-solving, and exploring.

Personalized learning - Similar to differentiated instruction, personalized learning describes “a methodology, rather than just a set of goals," according to Andrew Calkins, of the nonprofit organization, EDUCAUSE.Personalized Learning reinforces the idea that "the default perspective is the student's—not the curriculum, or the teacher." Personalized learning assists the student in progressing at their own pace and reinforces that there is an overall understanding of student’s needs. Personalized learning can include project-based lessons, mentoring, goal setting, and flexible learning spaces.

While the buzzwords of education come and go, the intent and message stay the same. We want what is best for our students and our children.

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The Learning Crush blog offers ideas and reflections on technology and education. Enjoy!